Prime minister David Cameron and Labour leader Ed Miliband have joined together in pledging to fight for Scotland to remain part of the United Kingdom.

Addressing MPs, prime minister David Cameron said he was disappointed at the constitutional dispute over the proposed referendum on Scottish independence (Pic: PA)

Speaking in the House of Commons, Mr Cameron said he âpassionatelyâ believed in the preservation of the Union and expressed his disappointment at the current constitutional dispute over the proposed referendum on Scottish independence.

The prime minister said he was â100 per centâ in agreement with Mr Miliband, who also told MPs the UK was âstronger together and weaker apartâ.

At Prime Ministersâ Questions, Mr Cameron said any referendum held in Scotland would have to be âlegal, decisive and fairâ.

âI passionately believe in the future of our United Kingdom, I passionately believe we are stronger together rather than breaking apart,â he told MPs.

âFrankly I’m sad that we are even having this debate because I support the United Kingdom so strongly.

âBut we have to respect the fact that Scotland voted for a separatist party at those Scottish parliamentary elections, so the first thing it is right to do is to make clear the legal position about the referendum.â

The prime ministerâs comments came after Scottish first minister Alex Salmond announced a preferred date of autumn 2014 for the independence referendum.

David Cameron and Scottish first minister Alex Salmond disagree on what direction a referendum should take (Pic: PA)

Speaking in the Commons earlier, Mr Cameron criticised the Scottish National Party (SNP) for wanting to delay the independence vote, declaring: âI sometimes think when I listen to them that it is not a referendum they want, it’s a never-endum.â

He added: âLet’s have the debate and let’s keep our country together.â

Mr Salmond is insisting that the vote should be held in autumn 2014, despite Mr Cameron calling for it to be conducted earlier.

In a statement in the Commons yesterday, Scottish secretary Michael Moore said that an attempt to hold a referendum over whether Scotland should remain a part of the UK based on legislation passed in Holyrood would be unlawful and could be dismissed in court.

A temporary draft order from Westminster could grant Scotland the power to hold a poll.

However, Mr Salmond said that the UK government must ‘resist the temptation’ to meddle in Scottish politics.

‘I think the Westminster parties have got to start understanding – all Westminster politicians – that this has to be a referendum made, built, and run in Scotland,’ he said.

He added that the SNP was confident of their plans and that the 2014 timescale is not too far away bearing in mind that this is the ‘biggest decision Scotland has made for 300 years’ and will allow time to ‘do things properly’.

However, Scottish Labour leader Johann Lamont said that the date was a ‘panicked response’ from the first minister after it was revealed that the Section 30 order could pave the way for a referendum in the next 12 to 18 months.

A poll released by Ipsos Mori for thinktank British Future highlighted that 54 per cent of Scots questioned want to remain united with the UK.